'It's just Hampden, I thought I could drive fast'

Being caught doing 80 in a 50 zone will get you into trouble - even if it IS Hampden. Photo / file

A 17-year-old who failed to stop for police later told them he believed he could drive fast because it was "just Hampden" he was travelling through.

Oamaru District Court was told yesterday that late on September 22, Jefferey William Ley, a dairy worker of Morven, caught the attention of police after he accelerated to 80km/h in a 50km/h area of Hampden.

Ley was convicted, fined $600 and disqualified from driving for six months for reckless driving.

Police prosecutor Ross Hutton said that when he was stopped, Ley told police he had driven fast because he was "trying to be cool" and show off his new vehicle.

He also told police: "It's just Hampden, I thought I could drive fast."

Judge Brian Callaghan said research showed that until the early 20s, brains were not developed sufficiently for driving and as a result young people like Ley took risks while driving.